This week I was really chuffed to get an email about my blog from Julie Lusk. I'd come across Julie previously when I discovered her wonderful version of chandra namaskar the Moon Salute, which is really popular with my students (and with me!). In her email Julie said: "Maybe you'll smile knowing that what you are sharing is being enjoyed in Cincinnati, Ohio in the USA by me and my students." Wow! - the power of the internet to connect people! I like to do an early morning yoga practice before breakfast. The past few days this has felt horribly early as my body clock is still adjusting to the clocks being put forward. So my inner Moaning-Minnie has been particularly strong and vocal as I've stepped on to my mat at 5.45am each morning. Once I've got going with a brisk warm-up my happy hormones kick in again. The warm-up I've used this week is one of my favourites: The Lunge Around the Clock Warm-up I've followed this with a Strengthening Yoga Practice that I've recently rediscovered. The practice has a creative feel to it; combining poses such as Garudasana arms with Utkatasana legs. Poses such as forearm plank provide a challenge and really fire my abs up. The practice can be found in the excellent Dorling Kindersley 15 Minutes series: "15 Minute Gentle Yoga". It does come with an accompanying DVD. I tend not to use DVDs in my own home practice, but I often watch them with a cup of tea to get ideas and inspiration.I round this practice off with a simple "cool-down" routine that I've devised myself. It can be used at the end of a stronger practice, or it could be used on it's own as a gentle yoga practice in its own right. The cool-down practice will have a calming effect and will help your body to return to a neutral state.

Although it's good to be innovative and try out new things to keep your home yoga practice fresh; at the same time there is a place for the tried and tested. A familiar routine that you regularly practice can have an instantly soothing and calming effect, which can be great for placating an anxious or restless mind. Of course it will stop working once it gets so familiar that you slip on to auto-pilot, and then it will be time to ring in the changes again, or to simply be a bit more mindful. Trust your own wisdom; get creative and find out what works well for you.